Once Torture Her, Twice Fear Her

CELESTINE’S POV

The days bled into one another. I could no longer clearly remember what happened after that fateful day. The details had become a hazy blur, overshadowed by the raw, unrelenting pain of my loss. What I did remember was the overwhelming grief that consumed me, the way I cried every single day, missing my parents with a desperation that seemed impossible to ever quench.

Mom... Dad, please come back.

Please, save me.

I ached for their embrace, the warmth of their love that once wrapped around me so securely. I yearned for the days when I was just a carefree girl in their eyes.

The accusations from the pack elders had become a dull, persistent hum in the background of my existence. I was numb to their scorn, their harsh words cutting through me like a knife. They called me selfish and cold-blooded, blaming me for the death of my parents just because they wanted my younger brother, Soren, to become the Alpha instead of me. I had become the scapegoat for their grievances, my very presence a reminder of the family they believed I had wronged.

I closed my eyes tightly.

I wanted to shake my head in denial, to scream that I had never cared about being the heir, that I had never wanted the title of Alpha. I simply wanted to be the little girl who could bask in her parent’s love and protection. But my pleas fell on deaf ears. No one wanted to hear my side of the story, my voice was hoarse from the endless crying that had left me drained and defeated.

Soren, only fifteen at the time, was thrust into the role of Alpha with a cold urgency.    As for me, my brother’s wrath was something I had been enduring since then. No matter how hard I cried and told him the truth, he wouldn't listen. To torment and avenge our parents, he made me a slave in our own pack. My duties were the dirtiest and hardest—cleaning, scrubbing, and serving with no respite.

Beatings became a regular part of my existence. My bones were broken and healed more times than I could count, each injury evidence of my suffering. Bruises covered my body, a patchwork of pain that never seemed to fade. The anger and frustration of everyone in the Ironclaw Pack were taken out on me, leaving me as nothing more than a punching bag for their discontent.

To make matters worse, I was without a wolf. At twenty-two years old, I had still not manifested my wolf. My brother had forced me to take poison to suppress the awakening of my wolf, ensuring that I remained the lowest of the low—far beneath even the omega maids.

Without my wolf, I was vulnerable, subject to the whims of anyone who chose to bully or abuse me.

This morning was no different. The maid’s harsh voice cut through my thoughts as she ordered me to hurry. “Hurry up! Get ready! We have important guests arriving soon. You need to serve wine at the gathering.”

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. The maid walked away, her words trailing behind her as she chatted and laughed with another maid.

“I heard an Alpha from the neighboring pack is coming,” one of the maids said, her voice tinged with excitement. “Oh my gosh, I heard he’s so handsome and sexy.”

Her companion laughed and added, “He might be handsome, but didn’t you hear? He’s especially cruel and ruthless. He even killed his parents and all the elders in his pack!”

The other maid gasped, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Goodness, just like Celestine. They both killed their parents. How terrifying these people are!”

The narrative that had been painted for me—of a daughter who betrayed her own family—had become a part of my very being.